Bikers' Banter

Met up with the boys at 8am to avoid the heat. We were going to Alpera (Castilla la Mancha), about 60 kms away. For some random reason, I figured I had enough in the tank, having done 50 miles since the last fill.

Added to that, Paco now has a shiney BMW, rather than a solid Harley, so he can do more than 20 miles in a day withoug complaining. In summary, we went the bendy way!
Brilliant ride out through the countryside. Really ought to use that road more often, but it doesn't really go anywhere that we go to! As we got higher, we went into grape growing territory, and then hit a bank of cloud. Well - I don't think it was cloud really, just morning mist from them watering at night. Either way, visibility went right down and visors went up! Mr NC switched on his auxillary lights for the first time - they looked seriously impressive. Paco thought a police bike had arrived on our tail! Once we had cleared the mist, the view into the valley and the cloud below was stunning.

A quick hop on the motorway and we soon got to the bar.
We had to sit at a table for 4 as the place was soon heaving. Thankfully, the guy is used to bikers coming in, and brings up a couple of plastic chairs to put helmets and jackets on!

I'm impressed with Paco's bike. He got loads of spares to go with it, and, for a 10 year old bike, it is in mint condition. (I really need to paint my wheels.)

We ordered the house special for breakfast:
Jeez, there was enough meat on that chop to feed a family of four. But no - having eaten all the nuts and olives, Paco ordered another loaf of bread

Time to leave - but I had to fill up. No problem - Carolos had checked out that the nearest petrol station was 100 yards away. It was. But it was shut! Thankfully, I wasn't on panic mode yet, so we hopped back on to the motorway and I filled up at Almansa. Paco did too. But Mr NC had barely used a 1/4 of the tank

We then turned off and went through some back roads...

What can I say.

Don't. Go. That. Way.

Fooook me The road was terrible. It's bad enough having hairpin bends and cliff edges, but this one was filled with potholes, gravel, and roots pushing the road up. (Oh, and cyclists.) To top it all, it was barely wide enough for a car and bike to pass each other, but we were greeted with two buses coming in the oposite direction. What the smurf were they doing on that road?!
Finally go onto the CV590, which is a road I love. Very high up, stunning views all around and not a lot of traffic. (Although, I have seen some police up there and the speed limit might technically be 40 kph!!)

We started dropping down the other side, and encountered about 25 carts, being pulled by horses and donkeys going up the hill. Those poor animals. It was about 30 degrees and they had been climbing for miles. Goodness knows where they were going.

Carlos took a left hand turn that I hadn't expected, and we did an even more scenic ride home. A road I've never done before. Finally looped around the back of Xativa (a lovely cultural town, if you are visiting the area), and then back home.

A quick stop for a Fanta Limon in town, and then home, strip off the sweaty kit, and watch the F1 before getting in the pool!

Always good to see people drinking wine with breakfast ! . I'm biking through Spain in September , is this a custom I need to get accustomed to ? When in Rome and all that.

Contractors usually have a beer or 3 with brekkie.

Nice ride NC. Some familiar roads there.

CantCorner wrote: ↑Mon Jul 09, 2018 10:14 am I'm biking through Spain in September , is this a custom I need to get accustomed to ? When in Rome and all that.

Definitely.
Perfectly normal to drink beer or wine with breakfast You see it everywhere.
(Just pray you don’t get stopped by the guardia)

Those wine glasses actually have coke in them (although Paco did have a Bailey in his coffee!)

CantCorner wrote: ↑Mon Jul 09, 2018 10:14 am I'm biking through Spain in September .

Which bit and when CC?
I’m here for the first 2 weeks if you’re heading this way

NC ,
Ferry from Plymouth to Santander on 16th Sept. heading to Riano for first night then onto Sintra in Portugal to look at castles and palaces . Anybodys' guess which way home but doubtful we'll get too far south in Spain as the return ferry from Bilbao is on the 27th .

That sounds a brilliant day out. Those dodgy bit are the most fun of all, once you've survived them and you're laughing afterwards. Not so good at the time!

John's best mate Jonny and I are thinking of doing the ferry to Bilbao and then ride home, maybe next year if he's not doing another American ride. We'd all planned a last ride together in France for this summer but now there's just the two of us looking for adventure we though we'd retrace the route John did on a 350MZ many years ago, but we're both too busy to fit it in this year. Something to think about though.

And as for those taking the ferry from Plymouth, if you didn't want to meet at stop 24 again, just say so. You didn't have to detour that far to miss it!

Bee
Stop 24 will be on the agenda for next years' trip as I'm already planning to ride down to the tunnel , through France to Marseille and then a ferry to Corsica . Returning from Bilbao to Portsmouth .
Anybody is more than welcome to join us .

That sounds like a good trip. I'll look forward to seeing you, although we'll hopefully get a chance to meet again before then. I always think of you both, and your nice friends, when I go to stop 24.